Acetylene-gas-generating lamp



(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 22, |898. L. S. BUFFINGTON.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application filed Oct. 23, 1896. Renewed Oct. 17, 189B.;

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E! ivrrnn STATES LEROY S. BUFFINGTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE BUFFINGTON LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

ACETYLEN E-GAS-G EN EFSATING LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,440, dated November. 22, 1898.

Application led October 23, 1896. Renewed October 17, 1898. Serial No. 693,812. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY S. BUnFINcroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its especial object to provide an improved acetylene-gas lamp.

To this end my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and delined in the claims.

Certain of the features of construction disclosedin niy present invention are also illustrated in a companion application filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 609,817, entitled Acetylene-gas lamp, and certain features are also, from a broad point of view, illustrated in my prior application, Serial No. 605,383, iiled September 10, 1896, entitled Apparatus for generating acetylene gas.

My present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters refer to like parts throughout both views.

Figure lis a side elevation of the preferred form of my invention, shown as constructed on the general design of what is usually termed a students lamp. Fig. 2 is a view, principally in vertical central section, with some parts shown in full and others broken away, showing the internal construction of the lamp illustrated in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a vertically-disposed cylinder, the upper end of which is closed by means of a fixed cap a and the lower end of which is closed by means of a removable bottom section a2, that is provided with a cylindrical portion cL3,wl1ich, as shown, telescopes with sufficient frictional engagement to hold the bottom section in working position with the inside of the lower end of the cylinder a. In virtue of the frictional engagement the bottom section c2 will be forced from position by overgenerations of gas,which approach a pressure dangerous to the apparatus. The cylinder ct is divided, so as to form two chambers or receptacles A A', by means vof a dividing partition or head a4. Preferably the partition a4 is formed with a covering or layer a5 of asbestos or other suitable material which is a non-conductor of heat.

The upper chamber or receptacle A is to be filled with water, as indicated at z, and this may be accomplished through a nipple d6, provided with a removable plug al.

a8 indicates Va vertically-disposed gas-conveying pipe, the lower end of which opens from the chamber A' and the upper end of which terminates in the chamber A above the highest level of the column of water z.

Opening downward through the center of the partition or head-plate a4 is a passage a9, formed in a valve-seat d10. This passage a9 is adapted to be opened and closed by means of a needle-valve a, the stem of which has screw threaded engagement am with said valve-seat aw. The valve-seat d10 is provided with a series of capillary passages cl3, which are located one above the other, so as to give in the aggregate a greater or less amount of opening to the valve-passage a9, according to the distance to which the needle-valve a is raised. The upper end of the stem of the needle-valve works upward through a stuffing-box am in the cylinder-cap a' and is provided with a kuurled head (L15, by means of which the valve may be manipulated. Just below the passage a9 the partition or head a4 is provided with a conical nipple ai, which is provided with a series of very small perforations a and terminates in a depending needle-point als.

From the bottom of the head or partition a4 depends another cylindrical section am. This cylinder a is of substantially the same length as that portion of the cylinder a which extends below the partition a4, but is of considerably less diameter.

The carbid-holder shown is formed by a cylinder b with a closed bottom and provided with spring retaining-feet b', which, as shown, project below the end of the holder and tend to spring outward. The upper end of the cylindrical holder b may be provided with a removable cover 52, the transverse portion of which is formed by a reticulate or wire-wo ven disk b3. This reticulate cover serves to prevent the lime products from the decomposed carbid from overiiowing the carbidfolder. The carbid-holder b is slightly less in diame- Ioo ter than the cylindrical portion am, and is i adapted to be placed in working position, as

shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, while the bottom section (Z2 (Z2 is removed by forcing the same telescopically upward into said cylindrical portion (i12, in which position the springfeet b will engage the interior of the said cylindrical port-ion al under su flicient friction to securely hold the carbid-holder in position. The carbid-holder may be drawn downward out of working position by taking hold of a knob or finger-piece b4, formed on the bottom of said carbid-holder, and in like manner the bottom section (L2 (L3 may be drawn downward out of working position by taking hold of a knob (120, formed on the bottom of the section (Z2.

Before the carbid-holder is placed in working position it should of course be filled with bodies of carbid, as indicated at fg, andthe removable bottom section (L2 (t3 should be partially filled with water or other sealing liquid, as shown at e. The parts so far described constitute the generator.

In the construction shown in the drawings the generator is supported by means of the gas-conveying pipe or connections between the same and the burner, which connections are so arranged as to serve also as a condenser or cooler. Referring in detail to this construction, c indicates a base-piece which is recessed, as shown at c. As shown, the bottom of the recess c' is closed by means of a removable screw-threaded plug c2, which carries a carbid or lime holder c3, which is open at its upper end, and is adapted to contain a small quantity of carbid or lime y. (Z indicates a vertically-disposed pipe or tube, the lower end of which is secured to the basepiece c and opens into the chamber c and the upper end of which is slightly enlarged at (Z and terminates in the hollow ball d2. (Z3 indicates another pipe or tube, the lower end of which is also secured to the base c, opens into the chamber c', and has its body wound around the vertical pipe (Z in the form of a coil until it reaches the enlarged neck portion (Z, where it is passed through said portion (Z' and the hollow ball (Z2. After passing through the ball (Z2 the pipe (Z3 is turned 'lirst to the left and then extended inward and downward through the liquid .e in the waterchamber A and opens at its lower end through the partition a a5 into the upper end of the generating-chamber A of the generator. The hollow ball (Z2 is provided with a neck or thimble portion d4, which surrounds the horizon tal portion of the pipe (Z3 and serves to rigidly secure said ball (Z2 to the cylinder (a of the generator.

It will thus be seen that the gas-conveyin g connections constructed as above described constitute a standard or support for the generator. A gas-tight joint must of course be formed between the neck portion (Z4 and the pipe (Z3.

Secured at its lower end to the top of the base-piece c, rising vertically and forming a casing for the pipe-section (Z and the coil of the pipe-section (Z3, is a tube or long cylindrical casing (Z5, which is adapted to contain water or other cooling liquid The upper end of this casing Z5 is shown as closed by a movable cap (ZG, lnounted to slide vertically on the pipe-section d.

A short stub-pipe f extends to the right from the hollow ball (Z2 and terminates in an ordinary gas-burnerf. As shown, an ordinary shade g is held in position by means of a shade-support g, which in turn is held in place by means ofa finger g2,depending therefrom and working in a keeper g2, formed on the upper portion oi' the ball (Z2.

The action of the lamp is substantially as follows: The parts of the generator being charged with waterand carbid, as already indicated, the generating action may be started by turning the needle-valve (tu until it is raised sufficiently to open the valve-passage (r9 and one or more of the capillary passages (Z13. This will of course permit the water in the water-chamber A to flow drop by drop onto the carbid-bodies y in the carbid-holder b. The drops of water which have passed through the valve-passage (t2 will next pass through the perforations (1,1T of the nipple al and will then run down the outside of the same and be dropped from the needle-point (L18. This needle-point (als, as it affords but a Very small surface to which the drop may cling under the action of capillary attraction, will cause the water to drip therefrom in Very small drops. The gas generated in the generating-chamber A is fed to the burner f' first through the coiled pipe-section (Z3 into the drying-chamber c and from thence through the pipe-section (Z, bulb (Z2, and burner-stem f. As the gas passes through the coiled portion of the pipe (Z3, which is submerged in the water z2, all water and other vaporized liquid substances will be condensed and precipitated and will be discharged from the lower end of the coil into the drying-chamber c. It` will be noted that the lower cud of this coil is so positioned that the precipitated products of condensation will drop on to and run down the interior of the neck or wall of the dryingchamber c', and hence in this construction will not be dropped directly into the carbid-holder c3. However, any moisture which may be held or taken up by the gas which is in the dryingchamber will be brought into contact with the carbid or other drying material contained in the holder c3 and will be taken up and absorbe(1 or held thereby. In case carbid is placed ir the holder c2 the watery vapors of the ga will, by their contact with the carbid, produce a very slight and slow generation of acetylene gas within the chamber c. It will thus be seen that the gas in passing through the condensing-coil and drying-chamber will be eftectually cleaned and dried. This cleaning and drying of the gas are of the greatest importance in the practical operation of a gas the production of acetylene gas, for acetylene gas as it comes from the generatingchamber always contains more or less gumm y and other foreign impurities, which in a short time will clog and choke the gas-burners, so that they are rendered useless without cleanin g,and,furthermore,these foreign impurities uw, in the gas decrease its illuminating efficiency and often produce smoky flames.

However, gas manufactured by my improved apparatus will not clog or choke up the burners, audits highest possibleilluminating eiiiciency is obtained. Y

` It will be understood, of course, that in the generating action the pressure of the gas conc' fined in the generating-chamber A will force the column of liquid z which is contained within the depending cylindrical portion am downward and cause the same to rise in the annular compartment formed between the cylindrical portions a3 Iand a. Hence any variation or unevenness in the rate of generation, with reference to the speed with which the gas is burned, will simply cause the water to rise to a greater or less altitude in the Said annular chamber.

Inasmuch as the chambers A and A are in communication with each other through the pipe a8, the pressure of the gas both on the top of the column of water c' and on the bottom of the same, (when the valve-passage a9 is open) will be equal, and hence as the action of gravity on the column of water is not interfered with by the gas-pressure the said column of water z may be used until it has been completely exhausted.

The insulating-partition is very important, as it prevents the heat generated within the generating-chamber from having any material heating effect on the'water ,e in the waterchainber A. The water z being thus left cool will of course keep the section of the pipe d3 j which is passed therethrough also cool, and

hence a considerable condensation. of the liquid impurities of the gas will be precipitated in this pipe-section and will run back into the carbid-holder, where they will be mixed with and taken VVup by the lime products.

Of course by moving the needle-valve vertically, so as to uncover or open more or less of the lateral perforations als, the rate at which the water will flowinto the generating-chamber may be varied at will, and when Jthe burner f' is lighted the sizeof the llame will serve to indicate when the proper adhistment of the valve is accomplished.,

3 It will be understood, of course, that various alterations in the details of construction above set forth may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention; also,

that the device may be used to control the production of any gas which may be formed.

y the contact of any liquid gas-producer ith any solid gas-producer or other gasproducing substance, and hence that such terms as water-containing compartment and carbid-holder are not intended as limitations on the use of the device, but are used simply for the purpose of clearness.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. In a gas-lamp, the combination with a pair of receptacles located one above the other and in communication with each other through a valved passage, of a burner, and a pipe or tubular gas-conveying connection between one of said receptacles and said burner, wound or bent to form a standard, and constituting a support for said receptacles and said burner, and serving also as a condensing coil or section, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-lamp,.the combination with a pair of receptacles in communication with each other through a valved passage, of a gas-burner, gas-conveying connections between one of said receptacles and saidburner, involving a pipe-section wound in the form of the condensing-coil, a drying-chamber below said condensing-coil, and a water-jacket surrounding said condensing-coil, said condensing-coil and said water-jacket constituting a supporting-standard for the generator and burner, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-lamp, the combination with the pair of receptacles A and A', in communication with each other through a valved passage, of a gas-burner, the base-piece c provided with the drying-chamber c' and removable holder 03, and gas-conveying connections between the generating-receptacle A' and said gas-burner, involving a pipe-section d3 wound in the form of a coil, and the straight pipe-section d passed through the coil of said pipe cl3, substantially as described.

4. In a generator, the combination with a pair of receptacles, of a valved communicating passage between said receptacles and the dripping-nipple a secured below said passage and provided with the lateral perfora- IOO IIO

tions@17 and de ending needleoint als sube I) a with an open lower end, of a carbid-holder supported by and within said generating-receptacle, below said ingress-passage, and a liquid containing telescopically removable bottom section, into the sealing liquid of which the open lower end of said generatingreceptacle is immersed, spaced'outward from said generating-receptacle, to form an equalizing-chamber for the sealing liquid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of` two witnesses.

LEROY S. BUFFINGTON.

Witnesses:

J As. F. WILLIAMSON, F. D. MERCHANT.

IZO 

